Gartner predicts 10 per cent market share for Windows Phone

Market growth will be fuelled by the fact that since February, Microsoft has added 11 Windows Phone original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to its original stable of four. Many of the new manufacturers are in developing markets where the potential for growth is still high, including the low-end smartphone arena, where Android is dominant.

Microsoft also launched the second generation of the Nokia X in June. While the Nokia X2 runs an open source version of Android, it comes with some Windows services preinstalled, including OneDrive and Skype. Because of this, Microsoft has described the Nokia X2 as “a gateway to Microsoft services.” The Nokia X2 also looks similar to Microsoft’s flagship Lumia line, which runs Windows Phone. The company is betting that the likeness will encourage users to eventually switch to the Lumia.

Windows Phone’s growth rate is expected to outpace that of both Android and iOS in the coming years, though it still has a lot of ground to cover to reach Gartner’s forecast.